Down in the Dirt

Moved...

2007-11-25T17:23:00.000-08:00

I think I will be here for a bit, please come visit thanks so much!

Update on refashion wardrobe... and some muffins!

2007-11-04T16:51:00.000-08:00

A little dress embroidered with my quilting/walking foot. I had a lot of fun trying that out for the first time.
The last of my linen table cloth.
I think it will be a hit...

A little baking going on..... !
These pumpkin muffins are really dense, I used whole wheat flour and flax seed... they are really good!

Speedy Recovery, love and warm wishes

2007-10-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

From ruptured appendix to excrutiating pain
confusion, pain
hoplessness, fatique
lost days, confusion, pain
A million walks to the bathroom, mean nurses, crappy pain medicine, tights up to one's nether -regions, boots that cut off one's circulation, every 2 minutes...

dry mouth, sleepless nights, did I meantion pain? Diary of a ruptured appendix patient named Mom....
I doubt I can correctly describe her days of agony after her appendix ruptured, but I hope you get the drift. It has been a long hard road for her and her family. What a surprise it was. No one was expecting that sort of thing.
Sending warm wishes and love, and praying for a very speedy recovery..
love, your daughter.

2007-10-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

A fall festival at school brought out our fairy. She had a lot of fun despite the rain and cold that has descended upon our town. It is yucky out there. Not a problem for the fairy. She danced and twirled all around, granted wishes and ended up with a bucket of candy. What fun!

In trying to be a good steward for the enviornment...

2007-10-19T21:05:00.000-07:00

I recycle and I support my local thrift stores. I love a bargain and I like to find creative ways to reuse and re-purpose things for my family and myself. Here are my latest finds...

Check back later to see what I make with the cool sheet!

a warm fall day....

2007-10-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

A sunny front...
front porch view
little girl in wild jungle ....
birdhouse
birdbath..

We had a really warm and sunny fall day today after a great soaking rain last night.
No hummingbirds in several days.. I think they all have finally left for good. I will be waiting to see them in March. Off to Mexico, lucky little birds. I will surely miss them. Godspeed little friends..

2007-10-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

I am joining in this wonderful challenge. Check it out! I love this idea and I have kind of dabbled in this sort of thing for about a year. I am now challenging myself on a deeper level. The idea of reusing, recycling, and re-purposing is really important to me. I do not like to waste and I do not like to spend a fortune on things that I don’t have to. I think it takes courage and creativity to be open minded about new beginnings. Want to try?

2007-10-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

Fall, fall where are you?? It is so hot here, and dry.
We are still quite high in our temps. No rain in sight. So, here are some fall memories from last year.. and some pictures from early Spring.

Pumpkin garden scene from 06.

Garden rose Hybrid Musk "Prosperity"

Little bird wanting his water bath... from Spring.

Knockout rose from this Fall.

A little grove of trees at the end of our cove.

Hope your Fall is cool, pleasant and full of beautiful color!

Good news!!!

2007-10-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

GOOD NEWS! posted here, I am still trying to decide which site I prefer.

I am so happy for my sis and soon to be brother-in-law! This is good news for our family and a new beginning. Sometimes that is just what we need~ to continue to grow and live. It only takes a spark to light our way.

On that note....
Late evening marshmellow roasting bonfire..!

Being a kid is so fun!
Yum!!

quick little update on previous wip...

2007-09-28T16:47:00.001-07:00

>

Quick little update on my embroidery attempt. I used the embroidery work and created a few borders of stash fabric to create a pillow. I backed the pillow in a chocolate suede type fabric leftover from a previous project.

Loving fall right now!

Surprise lilies popped up after our last recent rains..

This rose is Martha Gonzales, showing her pink self~ usually she is a deep red, must be the weather?!

Possibly the last fall tomatoes ... I will surely miss these!

Playing with "Wolf"...

Trying embroidery....

2007-09-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

Because fall is upon us and to me that mean leaves will soon be raining down upon the garden. I choose to not bag my leaves instead I use them for mulch. I love leaves and so do the worms! I believe in feeding the soil and so in honor of what is to be I am attempting an embroidery project of maple and oak leaves~
Practice run of maple leaves courtesy of Turkey Feathers (PatternBee is her company.) Here is her blog link I am practicing on a square of an old linen Cotton Maid sheet. I traced the pattern and you can see I am going to do one more leaf before deciding what to do with the piece. It is a work in progress no doubt as I have to work on technique, but it is so fun. Love this project and it is instant gratification as well.

Simplicity 7279

2007-09-23T18:12:00.000-07:00

I am feeling the love for these pants! I like the skirts I have made from this pattern, but I think these pants rock.. This pattern is so easy. I had alot more fun making these pants. It has been forever since I have tried to sew pants. I had several mishaps. I cut the pattern on the fold, (stupid), but an easy fix. Then I went blank on how to sew the legs... (Duhh!) Finally, I got it.
Here is the finished product.. Man I am ready for fall... note the jacket. Yeah right, 90 degrees still. Oh well, I am ready when it gets here!

Belated blessing's Friday...

2007-09-22T05:19:00.000-07:00

this post got me to thinking.. What am I most grateful for? Right now it is truly my children. It is so hard to adequately describe how important and precious they are. My heart is full when I think of them.

I am also thankful we still have some little hummies passing through. I know they are making their way to Mexico. I wish them a safe journey and I will be waiting patiently for them to return. It is amazing to me how they can be so strong and smart.

I am thankful for the upcoming chance of rain over the next several days. We have been in a severe drought this year and we have lost many many plants. I am thankful for the recent rains we have had and for the rain yet to come.

Blessings to you!
Thank you for reading my post.

fairy house revisited.

2007-09-21T04:11:00.000-07:00

I have been trying out word press and have written a post here... remembering when my older daughter taught my youngest all about fairy houses and they together created a whole fairy world. It provided days of fun.
I am trying to decide which blog site I like better. Both have pros and cons, but I think the word press might be winning so far.... decisions decisions.. Any thoughts?

Yo Yo Flip Flops..

2007-09-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

Look how cute these flip flops are....Yo Yo Flip Flops

I know fall is in the air, but I tend to wear flip flops until the last minute. I love to dress in warm layers and my tootsies feeling free. I see good gift potential here....

Birthday girl!

2007-09-18T20:35:00.001-07:00

Sara's day lily photo.
Sara's sky photo!

Im000092
Originally uploaded by jennbennstar

Today is my daughter's birthday. 13 years ago today she blessed us with her presence. She has made our lives special by being our daughter. We love her and wish her all the best in life. She makes us very proud. She is also a budding photographer! Look at her photo's of the day lily, tree, and sky. I think she does very well using light.

Restoring Order..

2007-09-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks we have been busy trying to update our kitchen, paint the walls, ceiling, and cabinets. What a trial that has been. I am mostly done except for touch ups, trim,finishing the cabinets and ceiling. I know, I didn't paint in the right order, I should have done the ceiling first, but I am 5 feet. I am so not looking forward to that part of the project. This all began because my sister had several pieces of furniture she did not need anymore.. so it goes, but my little kitchen really needed a face lift.

Ok, so then on to the real business of restoring order..we got our living room back..
Long story, but our dogs so love us and our furniture we decided to attempt behavior modification to change some of their bad ways. So, we switched our living room with our dining room. This is quite possibly ridiculous but we needed to let our little living room have a breather.. However, I couldn't take anymore of this arrangement. I think we all felt a little displaced to some degree, So, after moving many pieces back around I think we here at our little bungalow are feeling much much better. I think with fall quickly approaching it is a natural process to turn inward and to prepare for the upcoming seasonal changes. I feel so much better and I think our Chi will be better too!
Here are a few photos of our offenders~

check this out!

2007-09-15T18:20:00.001-07:00

See what you think about this!

What color do you need?

2007-09-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

You Need Some Green in Your Life

Green will make you feel alive, renewed, and balanced.

And with a little green, you will project an aura of peacefulness and harmony.

If you want stability, you've got to get a little green in your life!

For extra punch: Combine green with blue or purple

The downside of green: It can promote jealousy in yourself or others

The consequences of more green in your life:

You will be drawn to a new life path

You will feel free to pursue new ideas and interests, no matter how strange

You will be released from the demands and concerns of others

What Color Do You Need?

What's your type?

2007-09-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

Your Blogging Type Is Thoughtful and Considerate

You're a well liked, though underrated, blogger.

You have a heart of gold, and are likely to blog for a cause.

You're a peaceful blogger - no drama for you!

A good listener and friend, you tend to leave thoughtful comments for others.

What's Your Blogging Personality?

Simplicity 3732

2007-09-02T08:22:00.001-07:00

Flickr Tags: simplicity 3732, sewing

Review:

Now I am not a great seamstress, and this gave me fits! It was too big around the neck, too tight around the waist. Ughhh.... I did use an inexpensive fabric in case I had these problems, but still! I hate to waist my time. SO, I would not give up. What I did...

1. Reworked the neck by sewing it smock style, going around 3 times to secure and tighten up the gathers...

2. Opened the side seams and made the waist slit style.

I think it was a good save, and I can see myself wearing this under a jean jacket maybe?!

I would make this again with these considerations, a small pattern print, better quality fabric, shortened elastic strip for the neckline. and I would make the sides seams with side slits from the get go. Also, this pattern called for the hem to be made on the sleeves before placing the sleeves in, I would do it after.
Addendum~ I took another go at this pattern... This time in Gingham, love the fabric! It went a lot better this time, the fabric is softer and drapes a little better, and I worked out those kinks.. kind of. I think it's a keeper! Please excuse my dirty bathroom mirror! It is not really dirty just old and tired. No matter how hard you try to shine it up, it stays the same!

I am working on this knitty project for Em, in Cotton Ease Lime and berry. I think it will be really cute.

I am also in the midst of major fall cleaning and sorting. I am always in the battle of controlling clutter. Laundry that never ends and children that are resistant to putting there clothes and shoes away in their proper places. Oh me... but in the big picture none of that really matters.

Have you enjoyed my little trip down memory music lane?

Have fun here! and rock on!!!!

Robert Joel Benn III

2007-08-26T15:51:00.001-07:00

It was a hot clear day with blue skies, scattered fluffy white clouds.

Driving down the 2 lane highway we wound our way to Pickwick Dam. It was to be at 2:00pm our final goodbye to Rob. Our last farewell to our brother, son and grandson and friend. As we zipped along the highway we saw the sign "Welcome to Alabama"

What the ?? We wound our way back from whence we came, making our arrival oh, about an hour late.... SORRY! everyone..

None the less, we continued on with our duties... we loaded up the boats and headed out. The sky turned from bright blue to hazy gray white.. the rain began to fall and pelted upon our shoulders.

What the ??? Where did this rain come from? We are in a drought, no rain for weeks, maybe a month, why did the rain begin right now? We turned into a cove and beached upon the bank. We huddled up as the skies emptied. "Tears from heaven" we said, it must be Rob's little joke on us.. Ha Ha..

Then the rain cleaned the skies turned back blue, we set off again to finish our work. We motored on until we were in the middle of the vast lake surrounded by various greens and browns of the woods we set upon our boats.. "Remember Me" played softly as we bowed our heads for Rob.. then Andrea begun to read
"Dearly beloved family and friends, we gather here to pay our last respects to Robert and to share our love and grief with one another. We know in our hearts that this is a time of joy. Yet our hearts are still broken. Because of our great love for him, we will today and in the days to come. There will always be a big hole in our lives that was once filled with his presence. We cry to day because we miss him, and those tears are evidence of the love we have for him. We mourn greatly because we loved greatly. So, today we come with this tension between our hearts and our minds: in our minds we know that today is a day of joy and a day of celebration for Rob's life, but in our hearts we are filled with sadness and grief. We wish that we could have him with us on this earth for many more years. Let us pray~

God, our Father we thank you for Rob, the years we shared with him, the good we saw in him and the love we received from him. Now, give us the strength and courage to heave him in your care, confidant in your promise of eternal life thru Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Then Mom read,
If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, I would walk right up to Heaven and bring you back again. No farewell words were spoken, no time to say goodbye. You were gone before I knew it, and only God knows why. My heart still aches with sadness, and secret tears still flow. What it meant to love you-no one can ever know. But now I know you want me to mourn for you no more; to remember all the happy times, life still has much in store. Since you will never be forgotten, I will pledge to you today- a hollowed place within my heart is where you will always stay.

Eric went on to read some favorite memories shared by family and friends.

Ashes to ashes dust to dust~

In sure and certain hope of the resurrections to eternal life through our Lord, we comment to Almighty God, our brother Robert, and we commit his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him, the Lord make his face shine upon him and be gracious unto him and give him peace. Amen.

We scattered his ashes into the body of water of Pickwick Lake.

We ended with this prayer ~

We lift our hearts in gratitude for the life of Robert Joel Benn the III, our brother, now gone from among us. For all that Robert was to those who loved him, and for everything in Robert's life that reflected your goodness and love. We thank you for the privilege of knowing him and sharing in his life. Help each one to lean upon you as Robert did. May almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Sprit bless you and keep you now, and forever more. Amen.

We love you forever Rob and we will see you soon.

Flickr Tags: Robert J. Benn III Pickwick Lake Pickwick Dam

Sunday Skirts!

2007-08-19T16:19:00.001-07:00

Sunday Skirts!
Originally uploaded by jennbennstar

I had some fun this Sunday afternoon with Simplicity 7279. These were quick, fast and easy!

One more thing.....

2007-08-19T09:06:00.001-07:00

Ript ... this might help explain it more...

INSPIRATION

2007-08-19T09:05:00.001-07:00

INSPIRATION
Originally uploaded by jennbennstar

hope this shot shows everything!

RIPT! LOVE THIS, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

2007-08-19T08:47:00.001-07:00

This is a new thing I found, RIPT, I found it on a cool blog Montessori by Hand. I love this blog, it is cool. We love the Montessori way of teaching. Sara our older child went to Olivia's Montessori School and it was a wonderful experience for her and us as parents learning about our child and her experience in education. Now that we are beginning the journey with our younger daughter Emma I always am drawn back to the Montessori way. Perhaps this will be a good choice for her~Maria's Montessori.

Anyway, I was having fun gathering some ideas for inspiration... what do you think? I need some GOOD ideas for storage, cleaning and of course new projects!

On a thankful note, we did receive RAIN yesterday evening. It is still extremely hot and humid here, but this will soon pass.

One last thing, I recently got reacquainted with an old friend from High School. Stacey! Hi Stacey!!! It was so wonderful to hear from her. I never thought I would find her again. Here she is, doesn't she look great??

Here she is at her wedding~

Here she is with her new husband Wink~

They live in New Orleans. Stacey is a visual art teacher for the Jefferson Parish Public School system in their gifted and talented program. Her husband Wink is an architect and city planner. It is so wonderful to hear from old friends!

Have a great week everyone!

Flickr Tags: Montessori schools, old friends, ript

Have a peek at our temps!!!!

2007-08-13T15:39:00.001-07:00

Flickr Tags: school.weather forecast

It is a scorcher out there ! Forecasted temps are at an all time high. LOOK!!! I feel really bad for the people who don't have air.

There will be a lot of deaths due to the heat I am sure.

Why do the school children have to start back to school when it is so hot? It doesn't seem quite right. I remember when I was a girl, we would start back to school right after Labor Day. I would stare for a long time at all of my new school clothes hanging nicely in my closet. I would even try to wear an outfit or two, but by the week end I would have to forgo the fall clothes, and go back to my summer wear. It was hot back then, almost 20 years ago. Now the children start much earlier and it can't be easy for them. I know it is not easy for the parents to drive and carpool either. But, this too shall pass and one day we will miss the heat. I guess.

Now, due to the am chaos we did not get the photo op we intended. So, I will post some pictures from Friday's Open House for Em's school. Sara is a little too old to indulge her mother!

Robert.

2007-08-08T19:57:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: Rob

I have not been able to deal with this, but feel like now is a good time to put my thoughts "out there" on Rob. My beloved brother.

I miss him so much. These were my thoughts and feelings a few short weeks after he died. His birthday is August 23, he would have turned 30.

Written on 12/21/06.....

Let's just say I am sad. Death is never expected or friendly. I had a personal experience on December. 10, 2006. My 29 year old brother was helping retrieve Christmas lights and supplies, he stated "I feel dizzy" he stumbled to his knees and fell down. Time 12:15. Pronounced dead at the Methodist hospital an hour or so later. A young man taken with no history of illness at all. I do believe that everything happens for a reason, but I can't see it now for this. My brother was mildly retarded. Special we always said, and so he was. He was a gentle young boy in a grown man's body. Always willing, always able to help. So kind. So sweet.
It is hardest for those left behind. How to cope with the grief and the pain, and the loneliness.
Not so much for myself, but for my mother, grandmother, and stepfather. The ones that watched him die. They feel they failed him. Survivor's guilt. It is a bitch.
So in the course of a week, he died, had a funeral, cremated, and ashes returned. All in a week.
Hard to believe.
The hardest thing is the what ifs and the I wishes.
I wish I could speak to him once more,
I wish I had a sign that he is ok.
I wish I had been there to do CPR, I am a nurse after all.
What if we had known he was ill, why didn't we know that he was ill....
Then the why's???
why now
why not later,
why not his 93 year old grandmother, she prayed for herself to be taken, and he to be spared.
why was he needed now??
I have always believed that everything happens for a reason, but we might now be able to see or understand it right now.
I hope and pray for insight into this matter.
More later...

Trying a new thing!

2007-08-07T16:39:00.001-07:00

Ok, I am trying windows live writer, hopefully I can get a handle on it and use it with my blog that I currently have. It is supposed to be very user friendly and a little quicker uploading things. We will see. I can be a little challenged at times.

On other notes, we are preparing a cremation/ash ceremony for my brother Robert. He passed away on December 10, 2006. It was such a sad day for us. He was 29 years old. He had a mild mvp and otherwise healthy. He was mentally retarded, but considered high function. He was just a great great person. He would help you anyway he knew how. He was very artistic and very organized. He went thru several rounds of tests trying to determine exactly what his condition was. He was borderline CP, possibly autistic. We never had a real diagnosis. Later, we came across the Fragile X Foundation, and just on simple review, it would appear that that is what closely resembles my brother.

Anyhow, on August 23, he would have turned 30, so we are preparing a ceremony to be held on a lake for him.

Who knew there was so much information out there to help with this task. Here is cremation solutions that I found that will help one piece a whole service together. Who knew I ask? More to come on this subject later. It is very difficult to write on this subject.

Now, on a lighter note, I love my new skin care products I received from Marie Chantal. I can't tell you how wonderful these products are. I am trying the 3 piece trial set, and a lip balm. Wonderful! Highly recommend these products! The fragrance alone is enough to send you over the moon, and your skin is so soft!

As for the garden, please... nothing happening out there, it is in the high 90's, heat index low 100's. It is all we can do to water, so, it is surival of the fitest and will be doing some reevaluating come winter. I believe we will look to drought tolerate plants and so forth. I do believe that the roses I have should mostly make it and each year that goes by truly makes them more drought resistant. It seems like Spring was so long ago. Goodness.

Now, as for my knitting. I am still working on my hot cross scarf, but Olivia demolished my number 9 bamboo knitting needle. So, while I have replaced the needle, I have shifted my attention to this Christmas Stockings from Little Cotton Rabbit. I made the first one this weekend, with the Christmas trees, so cute! I am now working on the zig zag. Love these. I am using white and green yarn, Grace from Paton's. I hope she doesn't mind me linking these, she is so talented! I try to keep my eyes out for when she has the sale of her bunnies, they literally sell out in minutes.

I guess that is all that I have for now. Let's see how this does. So far I like it. Easy to use!

Here is a Buck Rose, Distant Drum from earlier this Spring.

Dog days of summer have left me wilting!

2007-07-28T15:07:00.000-07:00

I have to say I hate to be whiny, but it is too hot for me outside~ these days with my new job, I have little energy to get outdoors and do the weeding and watering. I have passed the torch for now to my hubby since he is home in the day time. I will get back into it I know once it cools down a bit, and when I adjust to my new work schedule. Having 2 days off a week is just not enough to get it all done.

One thing I have really been into these past few weeks is knitting. I have made a little pair of stripey socks for Em and a cool knit bag from the Purl Bee it was so fun to make, loved the pattern!Pearl Bee is a really cool blog I have been enjoying lately. I have been trying to find patterns that would not only refresh my skills, but also use up old stash I have had hanging around. My next projects I have planned are this great scarf called Hot Cross Scarf, it has cool cables in it and then a pair of socks for Sara.I did go to Michael's yesterday after work and they have put out their fall yarn's. There are some good looking yarns in great fall colors that I have my eye on. I am going to continue to practice/refresh my skills before I go back to Yarniverse that is a wonderful place to get lost in yarn! My daughter also wants a pair of wristlets. If anyone knows of a good pattern?

I am also in the midst of repainting my kitchen from a pinkish to antique white. It is a lovely transformation. I have exposed brick that I had used to coordinate the walls and window treatments with, but I was tired of the room being dark. So, being on the north part of the house, I thought a nice light warm antique white would do the trip. Along with freshly painted white trim. Nice and fresh. I wish I hadn't run out of paint, but off to Home Depot tomorrow. I also found a great closet system that would work with one of our few closets. Living in my little bunglelow leaves me with little storage. So, this should do the trick. Note to self, get up early. Again, back to my point, 2 days off a week just will not do!

Here is to a good week ahead!

DSCF2804_edited

2007-07-08T06:15:00.001-07:00

DSCF2804_edited
Originally uploaded by jennbennstar

My daughter's favorite rose! Teasing Georgia.

DSCF2801_edited

2007-07-08T06:14:00.001-07:00

DSCF2801_edited
Originally uploaded by jennbennstar

Grow beautiful roses!

DSCF2796_edited

2007-07-08T06:13:00.001-07:00

DSCF2796_edited
Originally uploaded by jennbennstar

How to maintain peace and serenity? Create a garden and surround your self with love... aka dogs and cats!

How time flies...

2007-07-08T05:26:00.001-07:00

It has been so long since I have posted! I actually have started a new job at a surgery center. It is a very different experience for me. I think I will like it though. MECA. I have already learned a ton about eyes since I started just 2 weeks ago. It is funny because I have been a nurse for 14 years, plus worked as a student nurse for 1 1/2 years before graduating and I always believed I would work in a hospital, in my favorite area SICU. However, since leaving The Methodist last October in a near nervous breakdown state, I almost thought I would never work as a nurse again. I do not mean to be overly dramatic, but I was a wreck. Towards the end of my time at my old job, I began to have panic attacks, my GI system was in a constant state of distress and pain. I had no coping abilities, I was overcome with stress, fear, and overwhelming feelings of sadness. I thought I was loosing my mind. I used to love my job and all the girls/guys I worked with. We worked really hard but always had time to laugh and appreciate the funnier moments of life in the hospital. Which there were plenty of. However, after years of changes, increasing poverty levels, sicker patients, increased drug/ alcohol usage of our patients, higher incidences of communicable diseases, more drug resistant disease. Training new nurses who would flea in fear after just a few weeks of training, being in charge, being short staffed, new rules of what else you could not do, having to take patients when there was no one to care for them except the person who answered the phone, the rest of the group would start mouthing "We can't take any more patients" and run for their rooms. It was overwhelming and it was past time to go. I am thankful I made it out alive. That is truly the way that I felt.
So, bless my husbands heart he said leave, and I finally did. I was so thankful. It took months for me to feel like a real person again. I left October 6, 2007. I have never really looked back. By the time I left, I was only one of a small handful of people that were left from the original group of nurses, one by one they had run each of us off. By now I doubt there are 5 people left there from the old group. When the "new" management came into power it was out with the old and in with the new. They wanted nurses they could threaten, bully and control. They did want the experience of the seasoned workers who had been through hard times and who could offer words of wisdom and help decide how things can be made better, what could be changed, for the better. No indeed they did not want anyone with an opinion. They were considered the enemy and they must leave. Like I said I am thankful I made it out with my license intact.
I won't even go into all the issues and abuse of drugs/alcohol that I observed co-workers to have. It is a true nightmare.

So, back to the lighter side. I love my new job, even though it is five days a week, and lower pay. I just love the calmness of it, the quietness, the smallness of it. I love the patients and it is a joy to do good again!

I feel better letting all of that out, even if it makes no sense to anyone but me.

We all need someone...

2007-06-23T21:22:00.001-07:00

Two lost little souls find love and comfort in each other. Mother Liv loves her baby Bella. Nuff said!

In the garden, still very very hot. No rain, we have been using our sprinkler. Plants have been tentatively set into position in the front garden. Small chance of rain so, we will plant hopefully tomorrow.

Knitting continues hope to have pictures of my winter project that I am almost finished with. I had to set it down for quite awhile. That is how I am, I am really into something then I am over it, and need to walk away for awhile. Unfortunately for me I had to leave a project almost completed. However, it is nice to be done so quickly the second time around.

Birthday Brownie with strawberries

2007-06-20T20:00:00.001-07:00

Birthday Brownie with strawberries
Originally uploaded by jennbennstar

Happy Birthday to my sweetie! 41 years young! We had a great dinner and even better desert. Let's hope the year ahead is happy, healthy and full of good times!

Knitted flower accessory bag

2007-06-19T18:46:00.001-07:00

accessory bag with little knitted flowers
Originally uploaded by jennbennstar

Today I need to create and did not have alot of time.
I was reading a super cool blog and came across a free pattern for this little knitted flower. Hmmm. left over yarn and just a little time is all it took. I had a blast making these. So easy and fun. I will make more to alternate across the top. I made this little bag for my 4 year old Em who loves make up and girlie things. She was thrilled. Try this flower it is a ton of fun!

close up of knitted flowers
Originally uploaded by jennbennstar

This pattern is from Little Cotton Rabbit's Blog is so fun. Try it!

2007-06-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

Where is the rain? It rained all over Texas, all over Arkansas, it rained all around my house, but darn the luck, it didn't rain AT my house.
Arabella just couldn't stay awake! 3 dogs joined her later, dark and gray perfect for curling into a ball and sleeping the day away. Phooey, will have to run the sprinkler tomorrow.

Olivia has a new best friend...!

2007-06-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

Olivia has a new best friend.. Boo Boo kitty, otherwise known as Arabella. (we think she is a she) It is a little hard to tell. Boo Boo was found abandoned under a porch in midtown , Memphis. She still had her little eyes closed. So, she was hand raised, bottle fed. To date she is the sweetest, most loving little kitten I have ever seen.

Olivia came to us by chance. She was on our porch hiding behind a planter, my husband worked a while to get her to come to him. She was a tiny scrap of a puppy that was animal cops thin. Near starvation, no lie. Anyway, we took her in, put her mug up for all to see. We put a sign up at our local vet etc. free puppy to good home. We went to work on fattening her up, dishing out love, toys, nicknames "Pinky", "Princess Olivia", on it went. About a week later the phone rang, a seemingly nice fellow wanted our pup for his boy. "OK" said my husband. "Come and get her!" "Oh dear!" I said.The tears formed and my heart broke, heavy with despair.Princess Pinky was sprawled out on the couch amongst her toys I cried heartfelt tears and said "Will she live indoors? Will she have treats? What about her toys?" I sobbed. As she lay peacefully, pretty and pink. I made the executive decision, "Call him back, tell him no "my wife freaked out, she can't let her go." Long story short, he did, she stayed and now she has a new best friend.

It's getting hot out there!!

2007-06-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

We are in a drought. The earth is baked, dry and cracked. My garden will be ok for now, but the farmer's I worry about. We used to have daily summer thunders, but that seems to be a thing of the past. At least for now.

As I build my blog, I hope to add more garden scenes flowers, shrubs, beds, borders.
This year is the first and official year of NO MOW!!! People can you hear the joy in my soul? My husband and I are thrilled to no longer have to deal with the drudgery of a mower! When my last daughter was born we switched over to a push mower (the old timey kind). Hey, it was green, and provided great exercise to deal with that lovely baby fat! Then the blades dulled, quited a bit. Couldn't find a sharpener guy so we got an electric push mower. It was very zippy compared to old pushy! But still in our hearts we were like ... no grass no grass. So, this year we did it. We mulched it over.. BIGTIME!

Ok, so we dealt with the borders, front and 2 sides, we did the arbor with a gate thing, (don't worry I have roses and clems waiting to go in). Then the mulch bomb went off in the middle of the yard..
I actually have tons of plants picked out to plant, but I am stuck on the overall design. Why now I am stuck I don't know. Plus it is so HOT I can't stand the thought of going out right now. If only a day of rain was in the forecast that might perhaps motivate my lazy butt to get out there and get down in dirty in my mulch bomb bed. I am sure the neighbors would appreciate that.
I think they already think I am nuts, but whatever. What's a garden addict to do I ask? Right, cram more plants in! My thoughts exactly!

Here are a few more pretties:

Check back to see if we crack up or get drenched!
PEACE

New addition...

2007-06-14T09:25:00.001-07:00

Little Miss Boo Boo~

Contemplating Miss Lil's purple collar~

Miss Viscous~

Peace~

The journey begins...

2007-06-13T12:05:00.001-07:00

This is my first time... to blog that is. I will thus embark on my new journey sharing some views of where I am ..in my garden in TN.

This is my first time.. to blog that is. I will thus embark on this personal journey oh to see where the wind will blow me. Self-expression is therapeutic, not that I have ever been to therapy, but sometimes you have to break out of the funk. So, on that note I begin.. care to come along?

As the renewal of Spring brings forth the bountiful blooms and new growth of green and bronze...

I will let today be my my first day of Spring.

Let's just see how it goes!